Demolition Ordinance

Understanding The Lafayette City Code Concerning Demolition Of Historic Structures
The purpose of this publication is to define the steps that a property owner must complete in order to demolish an historic structure within the City of Lafayette as described in Ordinance No. 2002-65 of the Lafayette City Code. Many structures exist that contribute to the historical past and heritage of Lafayette. All sizes and styles of historic buildings are important to the overall historic fabric of our community. The removal of any historic structure should be taken into careful consideration prior to demolition.

What Types Of Structures Are Considered Historic?Property located at an address listed in any of the following is considered historic:

The staff of Community Development will fill out a "Notice of Intent to Demolish an Historic Building" sign for the applicant. This sign must be posted on the premises of the proposed structure to be demolished clearly visible from the street within 7 days prior to the Board of Works hearing of the permit and must remain posted until the date of the hearing and throughout the 60 day waiting period.

The application for the demolition permit is not complete until the Board of Works hearing has taken place and the required signage posting and notification are verified.

The demolition permit may be issued and demolition may take place 60 days after the date of the Board of Works hearing, unless the structure is determined exempt from this waiting period. This determination can be made by the written recommendation of the Historic Preservation Officer and decision by the Board of Works.

What Properties May Be Considered Exempt From The 60 Day Waiting Period?The Historic Preservation Officer can recommend to the Board of Works that structures not contributing to the historic character of the neighborhood and less than 40 years old be exempt from the 60 day waiting period. Structures that have been altered over time in such a way that most of the historic architectural character has been lost can also be recommended as exempt. However, structures that have retained historic details such as the original wood siding, roof-line, doors, windows, relationship to the street, etc., but have not been maintained by the property owner will not be recommended for exemption by the Historic Preservation Officer.
What Is The Process To Obtain A Demolition Permit For An Historic Structure That Is Located Within A Local Historic District?

If a structure is located within a Local Historic District, an approved Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition must be obtained from the Historic Preservation Commission prior to the Board of Works hearing of the permit application. Applications for Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) (PDF) are located in the Community Development office. The completed application for COA must be filed in the Community Development office 14 days prior to the Historic Preservation Commission meeting (PDF) to be placed on the meeting agenda.

If the Historic Preservation Commission approves the COA for demolition, the applicant can then present the signed COA to the City Engineer's office and apply for the improvement location permit for demolition. At this point the process to receive the improvement location permit for demolition is the same as for an historic structure not located within a Local Historic District.

If the Historic Preservation Commission denies the COA for demolition, the applicant may request a review of the decision by the Appeal's Board within 30 days of receiving the Commission's decision.

For more information, contact the Community Development office at 765-807-1090.